A lawsuit against the 2016 flagbearer of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo by two concerned Ghanaians who are praying the court to compel the former Attorney General to pay for his out-of-office use of two state vehicles for 19 months after he left office in 2007, is motivated by politics, former Attorney General Nii Ayikoi Otoo has told Morning Starr’s Kafui Dey on Starr 103.5FM.

“Sometimes some of these things are done and they are taken in the political realm but law is something more serious than just trying to play politics with legal issues…

“We heard the lawyer who issued the writ and we know where he belongs to; he is my friend; I know where he belongs to, so clearly these are people from the other side of the political divide who want to play politics with all that is happening and I don’t think it’s the best for us.

“Our democracy is growing and it’s being admired throughout the world. Nigeria has pulled one [off] and everybody is happy about it, so why this sort of thing at this time when we are looking forward to voting next year and then somebody goes to court on some of these issues attacking the presidential candidate of another political party and all that. I don’t believe that it’s the best for us at this time,” Mr Ayikoi Otoo said.

The plaintiffs, Alex Doe and George Spencer Quaye, who are members of pressure group Inside Ghana filed the case at an Accra High Court on Wednesday April 8, 2015 in an effort to have Mr Akufo-Addo pay Ghc798,000 for the 19 months that he used the two state vehicles after leaving office in 2007 to pursue his presidential ambition.

They are also praying the Court to declare Mr Akufo-Addo unfit to run for president by dint of his action.

In the middle of March this year, the group issued a statement threatening to resort to Court to retrieve the money if Akufo-Addo failed to pay after an ultimatum.

In the March 16 statement signed by the group’s convener, Spencer Quaye, Inside Ghana said: “Nana Addo must pay the sum of Ghc798,000 in the coming days for keeping state vehicles for 19 months after standing down as Foreign Affairs Minister in 2007 to contest the NPP flagbearership which he subsequently won, or face a court action.”

“Our investigations have revealed that Hon. Nana Addo used the said vehicles during his campaign tour in the NPP contest and again during the 2008 general elections.

“We find his conduct quite unfortunate, unprofessional, putrid and unpardonable,” the group said.

According to the statement, “This singular act of his is synonymous to corruption and stealing from the public purse, and as a pressure group, failure to take up this challenge will be tantamount to dereliction of our duty as good citizens of the nation.”

The group said after stepping down from office in July 2007, the former Attorney general “failed to hand over his 2 official 4×4 vehicles he was using at the time as a Minister and took them home.”

“Our investigation points to the fact that Hon Nana Akufo Addo did not only keep the two 4×4 vehicles in his custody but used them during his campaign tour for close to 2 years, returning them in February, 2009, 2 months after losing the 2008 general elections.

“The said vehicles are: a Nissan Patrol with registration number GT 5621 T and a Toyota Land Cruiser GT 1983 X. Documents available to Inside Ghana indicate the vehicles were returned in a bad state with the Nissan Patrol having a battery discharge problem while the Toyota Land Cruiser had faulty starter brushes, which were both repaired at the expense of the taxpayer.

“We are therefore by this press release urging him to settle the above mentioned amount to the State as cost for keeping (hiring) the 2 vehicles at a cost of $200/day for each vehicle for 19 months at an exchange rate of GHS 3.5.

“Inside Ghana urges Hon Nana Akufo Addo to treat this as urgent and take immediate steps to settle the State or face a civil court action,” the group added.

It stated that: “We would also like to assure well-meaning Ghanaians that all ex-Ministers who engaged in this malodorous conduct in the erstwhile administration will be exposed in the coming weeks and face similar consequence. Our ongoing investigations are startling and show an appalling abuse of State resources by government appointees long after they have left office. We commend OccupyGhana for beginning this fight and call on other civil society organisations and pressure groups to join us in the fight against corruption and abuse of State resources by government appointees long after they have left office.”

Inside Ghana’s legal suit against Mr Akufo-Addo comes on the heels of a similar court action initiated by pressure group OccupyGhana against former Energy Minister Dr Joseph Oteng-Adjei who also recently returned his official 4x4 state vehicle after keeping it for several months after leaving office.

OccupyGhana is praying the Court to compel the former Environment, Science and Technology Minister to cough up about Gh¢383,000 to the state for the 222 days that he kept the luxury vehicle meant for rural electrification projects.

According to the suit filed on March 12 at an Accra Fast Track High Court, the group is demanding $500 for each day that Dr. Oteng-Adjei kept the vehicle.

Dr. Oteng-Adjei returned the vehicle on February 24, 2015 after former Deputy Energy Minister K T Hammond blew the whistle on him. Meanwhile Mr Akufo-Addo’s Spokesperson, Mustapha Hamid has told Starr News the suit against his boss is part of efforts to frustrate his presidential ambition as well as equalise with the OccupyGhana lawsuit.